Monumental masons: lead and other hazards of an old trade re-visited

A survey of lead exposure amongst gravestone inscription writers was undertaken in 12 firms of monumental masons in London and one in the East Midlands. The mean blood lead concentration in the 25 men studied was 35 micrograms/dl, with six workers exceeding 40 micrograms/dl. The four highest levels were 49, 57, 78 and 89 micrograms/dl respectively, indicating that substantial occupational exposure to lead was occurring. The men were unaware of the risks of lead exposure and the importance of not smoking or eating in their workshops. The stonemasons understood the hazards of granite stone dust, but an unexpected and common finding was an unacceptably high exposure to marble dust.